Discord
by Charlatan
Summary: When away in England Nigel stumbles across information about something bigger than he has ever dreamed of. But will it be worth the strain it puts him and Sydney under, and will their relationship come out stronger or fail entirely?
1. Chapter 1

Nigel looked up from the book he was currently reading. He had come across some artefacts in his time working with Sydney, but if what this book was telling him was true, well he would come to that after he had spoken to his employer.

Standing up fr4om the leather armchair to which he seemed to have become a permanent attachment to over the past few days he stretched the cricks out of his neck and paced over to the phone to put in a long distance call to Sydney.

"Syd?" He asked as the phone was finally answered.

"Nige, what is it?" An obviously sleepy Sydney answered.

Shaking of the brief feeling of guilt he felt for forgetting the time difference in his excitement he began to fill her in, "I think I have found something." Then realising this explanation wasn't really going to help much he carried on. "You know that family library I have been cataloguing, well one of the journals mentions a relic, well not even a relic, a legendry object."

Sydney was wide awake now, she was loath to part with her assistant usually, but when one of the professors at Oxford had 'phoned her two weeks ago to ask her to spare him for a few weeks to archive one of the biggest private collections of ancient Greek studies she couldn't deny her interest.

Added to this Nigel's use of the phrase 'legendry object', since beginning to work for her he had learnt that all legend had its basis, however tenuous in some fact, and so to discount the existence of an object entirely was something he rarely did now, for him to do so about this relic obviously meant it was something astonishing.

"Nigel what have you found?" Sidney didn't even bother to hide her interest.

"It is an early 16th Centaury journal, belonging to Guilio Medici."

"Guilio?" Sydney repeated.

"He became Pope Clement VII" He carried on, "Well he was using the Medici bank as a tool as a Cardinal, but also as Pope, this book list transfers across Europe. Money, art, relics." He began to talk quicker, "There is a sketch Syd, it is an apple with an inscription," Reading to word to her down the phone he pronounced it "Kallistä"

There was no reply from Sydney, she could picture the inscription now, καλλίδτη, "Nige, I'm flying over. I'll phone you back as soon as I get a flight." Was the answer finally.

"Right." Nigel agreed and hung up. Sydney's reaction hadn't been a shock really the bombshell he had just dropped on her was huge. "Kallistä." He rolled the word out as he went back to the book, repeating the word as he tried to settle back into the book. He never usually had trouble in research, but the word was unnerving, it represented so much.

C

Sydney stepped through into the arrivals area of Heathrow and grinned as she spotted her assistant standing right by the door holding a coffee out to her. He rarely looked this excited, but she was willing to bet that she looked as just as eager.

"What more have you found?" She asked as they walked out to the car he had been loaned.

"Well when Pope Leo X died it was expected that Giulio would be elected as the next Pope, Giulio sponsored Cardinal Adrian Dedel as Pope. He aimed to call the bluff of the other Cardinals, the plan backfired and they elected Adrian. Within two years he was dead, due to suspected poisoning. Bribery costs money, as do assignations. There was a huge level of corruption and a lot of the money went through the Medici's. I believe the Apple was one of the relics."

"I have no idea where it was found initially though, before this account all that I can find of it is that Eris threw it down into the wedding of Thetis and Peleus. Hera, Aphrodite and Athene fought over it and eventually Zeus declared that Paris would award it to the one he thought deserved it. As it is he gave the Apple to Aphrodite. Nothing was heard of it after then. It truly was the Apples of discord though, not only did it cause arguments amongst the Gods, Paris eventually chose Helen for his bride that Aphrodite had promised him leading to the great war of Troy and Persia."

"Thank you for the lesson." Sidney said dryly as she looked at the copy of the drawing he passed over to her. The engraving καλλίδτη stood out boldly, proclaiming it belonged to the fairest. Well as long as it didn't cause another war. That apple would be hers to find.

**A\N: **Well this is my first Relic Hunter fanfiction, I am really quite unsure about it at the moment, if anyone is remotly interested in me posting more let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sydney leaned back against the headboard, not yet willing to concede defeat. She was less than half way through the stack of background word Nigel had dumped on her, and whist it was fascinating reading she knew she needed to take a break.

As if on cue there was a knock on the door, looking over at Nigel who was engrossed in a piece of parchment she stood up and paced open the door.

"Hello?" She asked the young woman on the other side, "Can I help you?"

"Sorry I was looking for a friend of mine, I might have the wrong room." The woman grinned and moved to turn away.

"Kate?" Nigel's voice cut across the room. Sidney grimaced, she thought he had given up on the interpol agent but obviously he was still thinking about her, really this woman at the door was nothing like her.

She was interrupted on her memory of Cate and the trouble she had put her friend through as she was pushed out of the way.

"Nige!" The woman exclaimed as she propelled herself across the room.

Sidney closed the door, as her heart rate slowed down after the shock of being so roughly shoved by the woman. Turning she looked towards Nigel and the woman who were still hugging and talking rapidly in a mixture of latin, coptic, greek and english. Suddenly Sydney recognised they were testing each other in a game of sorts, throwing quotes at each other in the languages. Finally Nigel broke the chain looking confused, and blushed when he realised that he had lost.

Letting out a discreet cough to remind Nigel of her presence Sydney waited for her introduction. Somewhat shocked when Nigel didn't blush as he usually would have when having been caught with his guard down, she took a few moments to take in the appearance of the woman.

When she had first answered the door Sydney had felt the faint stirrings of contempt she usually felt for such women, well dressed, good hair, tasteful obviously expensive jewellery. The type of women who obviously don't like getting their hands dirty, often have a husband to tell them what to do, and who spends money on them because they are to dim to support themselves.

The only thing was this woman obviously wasn't that stupid. She seemed to be more of a linguist than Nigel, something that until this day Sydney hadn't really thought possible. The woman's face was also practically glowing with good humour, something Sydney hadn't expected from her first sighting.

Being drawn back to the conversation she shook the hand that was being offered to her, "Katie Steadman, and you must be Sydney Fox. Nigel has told me a lot about you." The woman introduced herself.

"Pleasure." Sydney replied automatically. Then shaking herself she continued, "Forgive me, but is there a reason you are here?"

"I asked her to come Syd." Nigel finally drew the attention back to himself. "I am having trouble with one of the translations, I figured I would speak to Katie, I believe the dialect is one of her specialities."

"Nigel so far the only languages you have come across in relation to this are latin and greek, as far as I was aware you are more than able to translate both of these?" Sydney pointed out, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes it is greek," Nigel moved some papers on the desk he had taken over, "But look here, the wording and construction of the phrases is unique. In fact the use of the superlatives is nonsensical, I think it is a reflection on the word _καλλίστη_, which of course is the superlative form of καλος. It is almost as a code, but I can not make head nor tail of it."

Katie moved over to look at the paper Nigel was referring to, "Yes, you are right," She began, "Look at the lack of regard paid to normal grammatical rules, yet it almost seems to be deliberate."

"Deliberate?" Nigel looked at her as if she were mad.

Katie grinned at him. "Look at the optative forms of the verb."

"I don't see it." Nigel confessed.

"What about if you were to translate it into sanskrit?"

Nigel suddenly realised what she was trying to tell him. Sydney just looked confused as Nigel caught her look. "If you translate into sanskrit rather than English, you have a double meaning, that entirely changes the meaning of the sentence."

"And you know that is right how?" Sydney questioned.

"The grammar of Sanskrit can be broken down almost mathematically, the translation of this text would fit that perfectly." Katie cut in.

"Nigel a word please?" Sydney looked over at her colleague. "Outside."

"No don't leave on my account," Katie cut in. "I need to go out to my car anyway. I will be back in a few minutes."

When the woman had left Sydney turned to Nigel. "Who is she?" She began getting straight to the point. It wouldn't be the first time his judgement had been impeded by a pretty face, and Sydney wasn't sure if the woman could be trusted yet.

"She is an old friend." Nigel began, "Look Syd if there is a problem I can ask her to leave, but I would've never thought about translating through sanskrit without her, and I really think she is onto something here."

Sydney sighed, "We can trust her?"

"You have heard about the relics that have been turning up at museums and public collections. They call the person finding them Vindex."

"Yes, the protector or claimant." Sydney confirmed, "Oh that's not her is it?"

Nigel nodded, he knew Sydney would understand now why he had tried to keep his friend identity from her. Whist Vindex had restored many relics to the public, her methods were dubious to say the least.

"How did you meet her?" Sydney began finally.

"When I was doing my degree, in my last year she joined the university to study classical languages, although she soon changed to general ancient studies when it became apparent that her grasp of languages was far superior to any of the lecturers. We used to practice languages together to become more fluent, although it now seems she has far surpassed me."

"I don't trust her." Sydney began finally.

"You can trust her, alright." Nigel began, "She isn't honest, but her own moral code whilst it may be unusual is very strong. As long as you understand it, then you know exactly what she will do."

"And you understand her?" Sydney asked.

"We have known each other for years Syd."

**A/N: **Thank you to those of you who reviewed it really is greatly appreciated. I have this story fully planned out now and it is just going to be motivating myself enough to type it now. Apologies if I have rambled about language to much but I love latin and greek and am just begining to learn sanskrit at the moment, so I do tend to get caught up in these things.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nigel was unprepared for the looks of admiration he was receiving as him Katie and Sydney entered the restaurant they had decided to break for dinner in. Obviously people we crediting him with dating at least one of the women he was with. He was used to having to defend the fact that his relationship with Sydney was platonic, but Katie was a different matter.

Sitting down at the table it was Katie who began the relationship questions, as she had pointed out to him numerous times over the past few years when they had spoken, it was time that he found a woman who really appreciated him for who he was.

"Look Nigel you haven't been in a serious relationship since Amanda, don't you think you should stop trying to make yourself seem so inaccessible? What do you thin Sydney?" Katie turned to Sydney as Nigel groaned out loud, this was all he needed, Katie getting Sydney to start meddling in his personal life as well.

"Well," Sydney began to answer carefully knowing how uncomfortable Nigel became when being confronted so directly about his personal life, "His relationship history is no worse that mine."

"Oh thank you very much, Sydney. That makes me feel so much better." Nigel's dry voice cut across Katie's attempt to answer.

"What exactly is that meant to mean?" Sydney retorted becoming suddenly defensive, something she felt she had been doing more and more recently, especially when it was Nigel who was part of the confrontation.

"Nothing, they all fit the mould very well."

"Mould, what mould?"

"As if you don't know what I mean." Seeing Sydney's confused look, he elaborated, "Come on Syd, they sweat more testosterone than the average man has in his entire body."

"Jealous Nig? Would never have labelled you as that before." Sydney cut back, unable to think of a more effective reply.

"Ah well," Katie swiftly cut in, not quite prepared for the affect her standard probing would have on the pair. "Did you have any luck tracking down that name I asked about?"

Nigel shook his head, "I was meaning to ask you about that. Where exactly are you coming from with that?" Sydney asked.

"I think that the apple was used so that Giulio could blackmail his way into the Vatican." Katie began.

"Of course." Nigel breathed. "Religions tend to evolve from each other over time as they attempt to accommodate local customs. Whilst the church did this they wanted to erase the credibility of any previous Gods. If the Apple truly was divine then it would undermine the fact that the Christian's worship the one true God."

"So Whilst Giulio didn't want knowledge of the Apple to leak out, he wasn't above keeping it for him and his family to use in blackmailing the Vatican." Sydney finished, "Which must mean that he left directions on how to find it. So you think that this name is the key?"

"I don't know it appears in the Greek text, but the word isn't any that I recognise, but as a name it is a long shot, spelt Epsilon, phi, rho, alpha (εφρα) I guess in English you would pronounce it Effra." Nigel answered Sydney's question as best he could, not used to feeling quite so inadequate as a translator. He wasn't sure if it was because Katie had upstaged him twice today, or if it was not being able to give Sydney a more definite answer.

"Hang on." Nigel continued. "Effra, there was a river Effra. It was one of the larger 'lost rivers' running through London. What happens if you substitute εφρα for ποταμός?"

"That would make more sence." Katie agreed, but it is a little less specific, even if we narrow our search to Europe the number of rivers, especially if we are going to include minor and lost rivers is huge."

"Could it not be metaphorical? What is the context?" Nigel carried on.

"That would make, and so the river gushes forth, through the Kush bringing pearls and gold from the pure land." Katie recited.

"It's the Tigris." Sydney interrupted, suddenly after following the conversation like a tennis match. "The river from Eden split into four the Pishon, the pure land with pearls and gold, the Gihon ran though the Kush leaving the Euphrates which literally means"

"To rush forth" Nigel interrupted grinning. "I knew they couldn't forgo the bible references entirely."

"It is another game. The Apple isn't there insert the Pahlavi name Tigr and you have the word arrow." Katie added leaning back in her chair looking smug.

"Oh this is bloody stupid." Nigel groaned "If you want to play these word games it could go on for ever. Languages often derive from common routes, there are many double meaning."

"No but this one is right." Sydney grinned over at her assistant. "Remember that map, the one covered in arrows, the one we couldn't make head-nor-tail of. Well that should take us there if the rest of the translation tells us which arrow to use."

"So now we have got that sorted." Katie gave Nigel an evil smirk, "I am sure Sydney has many interesting little anecdotes she wants to share with me."

**A/N: A big thank you to those of you who reviewed, it was much appreciated. This was a bit of a transitional chapter so I can get the background out of the way with out having to worry about the justification to much later on in the story. Places and languages are as accurate as I can make them, although obviously my links are DaVinci Code tenuous, there is no real link between the Effra and Tigris that I am aware- but you dont need me to tell you that.**


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